Insider trading is a serious securities fraud violation, which has significant civil, and criminal, penalties. In recent years, the SEC and the Courts have expanded the definition of insider trading, which can now include trading insiders, and those who get information from insiders and even the random man in the […]
Investors
Criminal Probe Into Trading in Fannie, Freddie Bonds
The U.S. has opened a criminal investigation into whether traders manipulated prices in the $550 billion market for unsecured bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to people familiar with the matter.The probe, parts of which were described by four people familiar with it, shows that investigations by […]
Securities Attorney
Mark J. Astarita is nationally recognized security lawyer, admitted to practice law before all state and federal courts in the States of New York and New Jersey as well as the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Astarita graduated cum laude from New York Law School and has practiced law primarily […]
Bitcoin Fraud On the Rise
Proponents of the varied cryptocurrencies believe that buying these “coins” will make them millionaires. For some, it is hard to argue, given the spectacular gains in the currency over the past year. However, those of us who have been involved in the securities markets for more than a few years, […]
SEC Investor Publications
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission publishes a number of guides and alerts designed to advise and sometimes warn, investors. Here are the most recent publications, as well as a list of all of the earlier ones: Dec. 19, 2016 Invest Wisely: […]
Investment Adviser Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Options Trading Scheme
The SEC alleges that, starting in approximately 2010, Michael Scronic began to raise money from at least 42 friends and acquaintances, many of whom were from his suburban community, in order to invest in a risky options trading strategy. He allegedly lured investors by informing them that he had a long […]
SEC Files Fraud Charges Against Brokers Targeting Federal Retirees
Elder fraud is becoming a significant concern of regulators, and firms. As the older population grows, so do the issues related to them and their money. We have covered this topic before, and the SEC recently charged four former Atlanta-area brokers with fraudulently inducing federal employees to roll over holdings […]
Record SEC Award Expected for JPMorgan Whistleblowers
The SEC is expected to present the largest whistleblower award in its history – possibly $70.6 million or more to be shared by two whistleblowers in a case involving a former adviser at JPMorgan Chase – according to a SEC letter released by one of the whistleblowers. The award results […]
Not All Trial Lawyers Can Handle All Kinds Of Trials
I am a trial lawyer, a litigator, and have been at it for over 30 years. While I have represented clients at trial, in state and federal courts, most of my trial experience is in securities arbitrations, and virtually all of my work is in the securities area. The point […]
Markups, Markdowns
In recent years, markups have become a growing concern for regulators, and brokerage firm markup policies and procedures have come under increasing scrutiny from the SEC and the NASD. Essentially, a markup, or markdown, is the amount of money above (or below) the “inside” market that a broker dealer may […]